Combined ironing board and iron holder



April 1952 F H. TILLER 2,593,937

COMBINED IRONING BOARD AND IRON HOLDER Filed July 15, 1948 INVENTOR. Prawces/Q 727567" BY Wwa Patented Apr. 22, 1952 OFFICE COMBINED IRONING BOARD AND IRON HOLDER Frances H. Tiller, Carthage, Tex. Application July 13, 1948, Serial No. 38,499

My invention relates to ironing boards, and more particularly to such ironing boards as include a rearward extension of the butt end of the board, and wherein such extension is adapted to provide a seat for a hot iron. The usual electric iron is supported on the ironing board on a separate stand which is freely movable over the ironing board and is quite likely to fall off of the same upon any substantial tilting of the board, whereby the iron is precipitated to the floor and generally damaged. Moreover, such stands provide an iron seat which is necessarily vertically spaced from the surface of the ironing board a considerable distance, whereby the user of the iron must repeatedly lift the iron a substantial distance to seat it upon the stand. Such repeated lifting of the iron has a ciunulative effect on'the ironer and results in considerable fatigue. Also, such stands must necessarily be left upon the ironing board when the ironing is finished until such time as the iron and the stand have cooled sufliciently to be handled. This inevitably results on occasion the user forgetting to disconnect the iron whereby the transmitted heat from the iron frequently sets fire to, or at least scorches, the ironing board, I am aware that previous attempts have been made to provide an integral rest for flat irons which comprise integral parts of the ironing board, but all such devices include many. objectionable features, and, in any event, require that the iron be entirely removed from the board before the board is folded and stored away.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved combination of an iron holder with an ironing board.

A further object is to provide an improved iron holder adapted to be rigidly secured to an iron ing board and including means whereby the iron is effectively supported on the holder irrespective of Whether or not the board is in the operative or folded position.

A further object is to provide an improved holder for a flat iron, which holder is adapted to be rigidly secured to an ironing board and which includes a dual-purpose, iron-receiving pocket adapted to retain an iron therein irrespective of whether the ironing board is in a horizontal or a substantially vertical position.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-107) In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan View of an ironing board in cluding the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof, parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal vertical section;

Figure 3 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the rear end of the ironing board showing the de vice according to the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, I0 designates generally any suitable ironing board including front and rear legs I I and I2 connected together by a stretcher I3, it being understood that the legs II and I2 and the stretcher I3 are foldable whereby the board Iii is adapted to be stored away when not in use.

Although the board I6 may be of any usual and/or well known construction, it is preferred that it comprise a plate M of sheet metallic material which is shaped in plan in the usual form. The plate M has mounted thereon the usual pad I5 which may be of asbestos or like heat-insulating material, which pad is retained in place by a textile cover sheet I15, the free edges of which underlie the plate I4 and are secured together in any suitable manner, as by lacing I1. On one end of the plate I4 is an upstanding wall I8 to the upper edge of which is secured one end of a second flatplate I9, the second plate I9 lying substantially flush with the upper surface of the sheet covered pad I5. The wall I8 is of height to accommodate the thickness of the sheet covered pad I5, and also, to provide a seat for the rear end of the pad I5, whereby to prevent rearward displacement of the pad relative to the sheet I6. By providing the second plate I9 substantially flush with the upper surface of the padded board, the iron, indicated in broken lines at 20 in Figure 1, is: readily slid onto the second plate I9 without lifting the same when not in use. In like manner, the iron 20 may be returned to the padded board for use without lifting the same except as hereinafter provided.

The second flat plate I9 is provided with a recess or well 2| which extends inwardly from a point adjacent the other end thereof and ter 3 minates at a point spaced from the one end of the second plate l9 connected to the upper edge of the upstanding wall 18, the well being oversize with respect to the iron 20. The purpose of making the well 2| oversize is to facilitate the seating of the iron 20 therein without the exercise of any particular care. Likewise, as is clearly seen in Figures 1 and 6, the well 2| is not necessarily of a shape complementary to the shape of the iron 20. However, it is preferred that at least portions of the rear edge of the 4 well be substantially complementary to the shape.

of the iron 20 for a purpose which will become apparent. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 6,

as well as Figure 5, the floor of the recess 2| is preferably formed with a plurality of ventilating apertures 22 therethrough, whereby to dissipate the heat from the iron 20 and accelerate the cooling thereof by increasing the exposed surface of the iron when the same is seated in the recess 2!.

The side edge of the well 2! adjacent the other end of the second plate I9 is shaped complementary to the shape of the base of the iron 20, and a vertically disposed abutment or flange 23 is positioned along such side edge of the well and has a lower end rigidly secured to the upper surface of the second plate IS in any suitable manner. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 5, the flange 23 is turned inwardly so as to partially overlie the well 2! and provide a substantially forwardly-directed. and horizontally-disposed pocket receiving the iron 20 therein. In practice, the flange 23 not only provides a limit stop whereby the user of the iron 20 may seat the same in the well 2! without the exercise of any particular care, but it also provides means for retaining the iron 20 in the board when the same is folded and stood in a substantially vertical stored position. This dual function of the flange 23 is greatly advantageous in that it permits the user of the iron to simply disconnect the same and fold the board up when the ironing is finished and there is no necessity to subsequently remove the iron from the board when the iron has cooled. By providing a recess 2| which is slightly downwardly offset, the iron 20 is prevented from sliding off of the second plate [9 upon slight tilting of the board in. Ob-

viously, such well 2| could be eliminated if the flange 23 were slightly forwardly extended at the end adjacent the rear end of the iron 20 to accomplish the same purpose. Likewise, the flange 23 need not assume the precise shape shown, and, if desirable, could overlie the front of the recess 23 to a greater degree than that shown. In the instance of electric irons, and to avoid disconnecting the cord therefor from the iron 20, I have provided a hook or the like 24 on the under surface of the board around which the cord may be wound in a well known manner to connect the same to the board when the board is not in use.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination with a flat plate having an ironing surface, and an upstanding wall on one end of said plate of a height adapted to accommodate the thickness of an ironing pad, of an iron holder in the form of a second flat plate having one end secured to the upper edge of said wall, said second flat plate being provided with a well extending inwardly from a point adjacent the other end thereof and terminating at a point spaced from said one end of said second plate for the reception of an iron therein, the bottom of said well being provided with a plurality of ventilating apertures for the dissipation of heat therethrough, the side edge of said well adjacent said other end of said second plate being shaped complementary to the shape of the base of an iron, and a vertically disposed abutment positioned along said side edge and having the lower end secured thereto, the upper end of said abutment being turned inwardly to partially overlie said well and embracingly engage the base of an iron when supported in said well.

2. The combination with a flat plate having an ironing surface, and an upstanding wall on one end of said plate of a height adapted to accommodate the thickness of an ironing pad, of an iron holder in the form of a second flat plate having one end secured to the upper edge of said wall, said second flat plate being provided with a well extending inwardly from a point adjacent the other end thereof and terminating at a point spaced from said one end of said second plate for the reception of an iron therein, the bottom of said well being provided with a plurality of ventilating apertures for the dissipation of heat therethrough, the side edge of said well adjacent said other end of said second plate being shaped complementary to the shape of the base of an iron, and a vertically disposed abutment positioned along said side edge and having the lower end secured thereto, the upper end of said abutment being turned inwardly to partially overlie said well and embracingly engage the base of an iron when supported in said well, said well being of a size larger than the base of an iron and having the bounding walls other than said side edge nonconformably shaped to the base of an iron.

FRANCES H. TILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

